Forgive and Forget?!?!?

Forgive and Forget.

Is that really possible? I'm not talking about angels or saints but mere mortal like us. So is it possible? Or is it some high ideals that we should strive for?

I believe that "to forgive is divine". For one thing, forgiving is a necessary part of the healing process for both the offender and the aggrieved party. Forgiving someone releases you as much as it releases the offending party. Secondly , forgiving does not equal to condoning the offending act. So to me it is OK to forgive the offender cos it does not mean that I approve nor condone the hateful act. Like I said earlier, it is necessary for the healing process to take place. It releases us of the hate, anger, hostlity and all the unecessary baggage that we would otherwise have to carry all our life.

However it can be rather difficult to forgive someone for the crime/injustice /pain/harm etc that they have inflicted on us. As part of the forgiving process, I try to walk a mile in the guilty party's shoes. I remind myself that everyone , including myself, is always doing the best that they can given the knowledge and resources that they have at that particular time.

My litmus test for forgiveness is when I do not harbour any more ill will or revenge towards the offending party. Neither will I go into a rage or hate mode whenever memories of the unfortunate events strike.

Anyhow, try forgiving someone. See how light you become as a result of that.

It is the forgetting part that I have a problem with. Can one truly forget? Wipe the slate clean and start all over again as if nothing happens. It may be possible for minor transgression but for the really big ones, is it possible?

My take on this is that I can and may forgive but I cannot forget. I believe that one should come out wiser from every situation. So if I have been conned by someone, then I will be careful the second time around. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!

So readers, any thoughts? Do let me know.

Cheers